Derby County have had a decent start to life back in the Championship but one key issue remains for Paul Warne.
The Rams won promotion back to the Championship last season after a two-year hiatus.
However, their return to the second division got off to a nightmare start when Derby County lost 4-2 versus Blackburn Rovers on the opening day of the campaign.
After an unwelcome return to the Championship, fans of the Derbyshire outfit likely feared the worst when their next clash was with a promotion favourite.
But, thanks to some help from Isaiah Jones, Derby beat Middlesbrough 1-0 at Pride Park in game week two.
This was followed by a 2-1 loss against Watford at Vicarage Road and a 3-0 hammering of Bristol City at home on August 31st.
That run left Paul Warne and his men 10th in the Championship table going into the international break.
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Paul Warne must improve one thing at Derby County
Six points from their opening four league fixtures will likely please Derby fans a great deal.
However, their away record in the Championship is already becoming a concern.
Derby have been beaten with relative ease in their first two meetings away from Pride Park this term and face Sheffield United and Sunderland in their next two away fixtures.
Now, speaking on Rams Daily: A Derby County Podcast, former Derby player Malcolm Christie has urged Warne to address his team’s struggles on the road.
He said: “When you look at the away form, it’s not as good as we know. Two defeats from two this season, that’s something that we’re going to have to address, especially when you look at who we’ve got coming up.
“Sheffield United and Sunderland in the next two away games and that’s not going to be easy, let’s face it.”
Can Derby County avoid relegation despite poor away form
Despite a solid start to the current campaign, Derby are still expected to be in the relegation mix come the back end of 2024/25.
Warne’s squad has limited quality and their lack of depth is expected to be exposed later in the season when injuries and fitness issues begin to pile up.
However, their chances of survival will remain high if they can keep Pride Park as the fortress it currently is.
The Rams’ promotion-winning season was built off the back of clean sheets and a superb home record.
And so far this campaign, Derby have been able to pick up two wins and manage two shutouts on home soil.
If that record is maintained across the full campaign, it is hard to see the newly promoted team going straight back down to League One.
But Derby will obviously not win every home fixture this season so an improvement on the road is still required.